


Yearning for Winter

by inkandpencil



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Lonely Bunny Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-11
Updated: 2013-02-11
Packaged: 2017-11-28 21:58:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/679313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkandpencil/pseuds/inkandpencil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Just after Easter is when Bunny gets the most depressed.  Without the holiday to distract him, he realizes just how empty the Warren is.  Fortunately, a certain annoying Winter Sprite can be a fine remedy for that.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yearning for Winter

This is my response to a prompt from my gf, Viperishpath. Hopefully, it successfully fits the bill! <3

 _"Just after Easter is when Bunny gets the most depressed. Without the holiday to distract him, he realizes just how empty the Warren is. Fortunately, a certain annoying winter sprite can be a fine remedy for that."_

_+species difference_  
 _++lonely bunny angst_  
 _+++extra fluff_

 

Easter had gone off without a hitch, thanks in large part to a favor on Jack's part to keep the snow to a minimum. Bunny was grateful for the Winter Sprite's help, he really was. But now, now the Warren looked and felt empty. Dreadfully empty.

If only Jack would stop by and.... Bunny shook himself.

Jack.

His thoughts kept coming back to the Winter Sprite and it both baffled and frustrated him. Why would he want that brat stopping by to wreak havoc in his Warren? It certainly wasn't because of the emptiness of the Warren that echoed back at him. And it *wouldn't* be nice to hear the kid's laughter ring through the place instead. Or to see those laughing pretty blue eyes.

Waitaminute.....

"Where'd THAT thought come from?!??" he asked himself aloud.

He'd not thought of Jack in that way bef- no, that was a lie. Bunny growled low, baring his teeth in the process. He didn't *want* to admit it, but Jack had been on his mind and in his dreams a LOT lately.

Usually in some interesting and compromising position.

Bunny shook his head in denial. The blighter wasn't a Pooka; he should NOT be having these kinds of thoughts and dreams about the Ice Bucket.

But he was.

Bunny groaned, trying not to follow this train of thought. But the emptiness of the Warren practically encouraged it, rendering him unable to stop his thoughts.

Jack had been human once. Not that humans were bad, Bunny mentally amended. But that, right there, should be enough to ice things up.

No pun intended.

....dammit.

If he let his thoughts go, he found himself wondering if Jack's hair would be soft like a kit's fur or if it would be coarse to the touch. Would it be cold? Maybe as cool as the breeze that wound its lazy way through the Warren? Would Jack's big blue eyes close in pleasure at such an intimate touch? Would his lips part? What would it be like to kiss those pouty lips?

Bunny jerked himself out of his thoughts almost violently. No. Nonononono. He was *not* attracted to Jack Frost! NOT!

Almost as swiftly as he made that vehement mental statement, he deflated. His shoulders slumped and he learned forward, holding his head in his paws.

"Yah, I am," he whispered. "Dammit!"

"Yeah you are, what, Bunny? Crazy? Cuz I coulda told you that." The unexpectedness of the voice caused Bunny to freeze. What was Jack doing here?! Better yet, how had he gotten into the Warren without Bunny noticing?!

"How'd you get here, Frostbite?" he asked, instead of answering Jack's question.

"Found a rabbit hole," was the blithe response. Jack was holding his staff over his shoulder; a normal position, really. Bunny tried desperately hard not to stare at the delicate hand holding the staff so confidently. "What were you talking to yourself about, Cottontail?"

As if realizing he wasn't going to be able to deflect the question more than once, Bunny tried to think of an answer that would satisfy Jack without being the full truth. Because there was no way under the Moon he was going to just hand Jack that kind of ammo.

"Jes' thinkin of how bored I am, is all," Bunny stated. Not fully truth, but not fully lie, either.

"I'm really good at getting rid of boredom, y'know," was Jack's response. It made interesting thoughts dart through Bunny's mind, causing him to groan softly and close his eyes to try to get rid of those thoughts. 

"I'm sure yeh are, Frost. But I don't need the Warren full of ice an' snow, thanks." Was that a flicker of hurt that crossed Jack's face? Bunny kicked himself mentally for his hurtful words. It was better if the Winter Sprite wasn't around, though. It didn't matter that Bunny had been wishing for Jack to stop by. If Jack remained in the Warren, Bunny wasn't sure what he would end up doing.

"Y'know, I thought maybe you could use some company, since Tooth and Sandy kept going on about how depressed you get right after Easter, but either they were pulling my leg or I misunderstood what they were trying to say to me," Jack said, confirming for the Pooka that he had, indeed, hurt him. Bunny groaned softly without realizing it, rubbing his face with his paws tiredly. He bowed his head, his eyes closed. "...Bunny?" Jack's voice was tentative now, the heat and injury it had contained mere moments before was gone like snowflakes in the sun.

"They weren't pullin' yer leg, Jack," Bunny said softly, opening his eyes to stare at the ground. "But I'm sure I'm probably not the most fun person ta be around right now." Suddenly, a pale foot, followed by a pale hand, entered his view; the hand slipped under his chin and gently applied enough pressure to make him raise his head. The soft expression on Jack's face took Bunny's breath away, his ears folding back a little.

"Why don't you let me decide that for myself, eh, Bunny?"

Bunny took a slow deep breath, his brows furrowing a little. "Who ratted me out?" he asked softly, wondering if he was reading the look in Jack's eyes right or if the Sprite was just having one over on him.

"Tooth. Well, she actually just confirmed what you've been telling me," Jack said with a small smile. "You coulda just come out and said it, y'know. S'not like I woulda pushed you away or anything."

"What I've been tellin' ya? Whaddaya mean? An' there wasn't any way under the Moon that I was gonna put myself out there fer yeh ta have a laugh at my expense, thanks," Bunny responded. Jack chuckled softly, the sound sending shivers up Bunny's spine.

"You don't even know the way you've been looking at me, do you? Or the way you circle me when you're talking to me. The way you'll fuss over the frost on my hoodie, or the snow in my hair? Bunny, you damn near attacked Pitch on your own when he tried to insult me - in much the same way you had, mind you, except that coming from you, it hurt - at the Tooth Palace! THAT was my first clue. Everything else just kinda added up after the fact. The books helped clear some things up, though." Bunny's eyes widened. Had he really been so blind to his own actions? And what books was Jack talking about?

"'Msorry," he murmured. "I shouldn'a said what I said at North's. I was stuck in m'own head, thinkin' only 'bout the grudge I held. I shoulda known better." It was an apology that was a long time in coming, to be honest, and Bunny felt a little better having started it. "I'm also sorry 'bout my reaction ta Easter. If I'da been you, I woulda done the same thing, goin' after a voice sayin' my name. I know you didn't do it on purpose. Yeh were as much a victim of that day as the rest of us." Jack's eyes got wide at his apology. Bunny only hoped it wasn't too late. The slow, warm smile that spread across the Winter Sprite's lips, though, reassured Bunny that it wasn't.

"'Sokay. I think we both more than made things up to each other. Think we can move on from there?" Bunny smiled at Jack's words.

"Yah." Without warning, the Pooka reached out, wrapped his arms around Jack's waist, and pulled him into an embrace, surprising the youth before him and earning himself a squeak of surprise. The lithe form in his arms relaxed against him and he soon felt cool arms encircling his shoulders. Jack was hugging him back! He pulled away just a little to look at the white-haired imp. "Jack?"

"What?" Jack's cheeks were a pale violet color and covered in a light layer of frost. Blue eyes met his for a moment before darting away. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Stay. Here. In the Warren. With me." He couldn't seem to get the request out without doing so in small sentences. Then, because he didn't want Jack to think he was ordering him to do so, he added, "Please?" The laughter that bubbled up out of Jack had a tinge of relief at the edges of it as the Winter Sprite burrowed into his fur and held him.

"Yes, Aster. I'll stay in the Warren with you." Bunny could have done a little jig of Joy at that moment. Not only had Jack agreed to stay in the Warren with him (at least, for now), but he'd called him _Aster_. As it was, he couldn't help the little hop he did, still holding Jack.

"So...you mentioned books. What were ya readin' about?" Bunny asked as Jack laughed. He released the youth and was surprised when the Sprite's cheeks were frosty again and he wouldn't meet Bunny's eyes.

"I had Jamie help me at the Burgess Library. Looked up rabbit habits. Turns out, rabbits and Pooka aren't too dissimilar," Jack replied. It was Bunny's turn to laugh. Jack looked a mix of embarrassed and pleased.

"Yah, I know it," Bunny nodded. He sobered up as a thought hit him. "Speakin' of, though. Here in about a week, yeh'll prolly not want ta be 'round here." He wouldn't meet Jack's curious gaze, staring at the ground instead. "Season's comin' up...." he muttered. Once again, Jack's feet came into his view. They looked very pale against the green grass of the Warren.

"Then I'll definitely be sticking around. Not like I have a lot to do now that it's Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. There's not a lot of snow to be had down South, after all." Bunny's head whipped up at that, green eyes wide, nose twitching. Did Jack know what he was saying? He must have asked that out loud, with the way Jack was nodding. "I do, yeah. You think I'm going to let go of something like this now that I've got it? No way, no how, buddy. You're stuck with me!"

The Pooka was pretty sure Jack was going to regret those words later, but for now, he was content to sweep the Winter Sprite up into another hug with a laugh from both of them.

It looked to be the start of something beautiful....

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Viperishpath, my gf, for giving me the prompt!


End file.
